Entering the ‘Land of Nod’ can sometimes feel like a mission far too impossible – who has time for that? But sleep tourism – where hotels offer sleep-specific retreats to improve your slumber – is on the rise.
We all know how important sleep is for our health, but too often it is too easily pushed aside by endless to-do lists, social calendars, and so much more. It’s no surprise then that hospitality group Accor has revealed that 86 per cent of Europeans struggle to sleep.
Luckily, the notion of sleep tourism – aka travelling specifically to give yourself time to properly rest and recharge – is rapidly on the rise. In fact, according to research, 38 per cent of travellers in the US and Europe have intentionally chosen hotels or rentals based on sleep-related features, and one in five would pay more for a hotel specifically designed for better sleep.
From sleep-specific retreats to specialist-backed sleep tourism programmes, here are our favourite hotels for a truly ‘dream’ set-up.
Intercontinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort, Maldives
If the thought of a trip to the Maldives, surrounded by calm turquoise waters, isn’t quite enough to have you dreaming, the Intercontinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort’s new Sleep Well package is more than likely to. Designed as a three, five or seven-day journey, the experience combines personalised wellness consultations (so you can actually get to the root cause of your sleep problems) alongside soothing massages and mindful practices to really take the load off both your body and mind. That includes meditation, breathwork or sound healing sessions, multiple body rituals in the overwater Avi spa, plus a sleep enhancement kit and Epsom salt bath so you can float all your way to bed. The calming influence of water, which is, of course, all around you in the Maldives, is used to the very best effect throughout your stay, including the simple fact that your villa’s bed and private pool all look towards the sea. Yoga – a particularly popular activity at the resort (and a part of the programme) – takes place on the water-surrounded pavilion or in the ocean, with floating yoga helping you experience the sort of sleep-inducing weightlessness that humans normally only experience in space or in the womb.
SHA Wellness Clinic, Spain or Mexico
If your sleep issues are having a real influence on your life (but you want a solution that isn’t more visits to your local GP), SHA Wellness Clinic’s Sleep Pack is the solution for you – and, best of all, you can choose whether you want a trip to Spain or Mexico to experience it. Offering a finely tuned combination of luxurious spa-like stay experiences and results-driven medical interventions, the customisable package not only includes a conversation with a sleep specialist but also an overnight polysomnography to give you all the data you need to root out the real source of your sleep concerns. Then, it’s down to the solutions, including neurostimulation sessions and acupuncture to regulate melatonin production, as well as personalised supplements, sound healing and some pampering rituals too. It’s particularly recommended for busy women looking for more mental clarity and hormonal balance, especially because it doesn’t just ‘fix’ the problem while you are relaxing, but helps you actually improve your sleep when you get home too.
Santani, Sri Lanka
The wellness practitioners at Santani know that insomnia often isn’t just an issue of falling or staying asleep; your body is typically asking for something deeper than rest, which is the reason for the joint Sleep & Recovery programme. The five-night minimum retreat begins with a consultation with the resort’s resident Ayurvedic physician, who looks at everything about your lifestyle to decode your sleep, including your stress levels and health goals, before creating a programme that revolves totally around you. From there, the focus is on restoring the conditions that allow natural sleep to return: calming an overstimulated nervous system, bringing daily rhythms back into balance and supporting the body’s ability to recover. Days can include 90-minute Ayurvedic treatments such as Shirodhara, Abhyangam and reflexology, alongside Pranayama, guided meditation, Yoga Nidra and morning Hatha yoga. There is also a particularly thoughtful focus on circadian rhythm, with meal timings, light exposure, movement and an evening wind-down routine all considered as part of the process, with personalised cuisine and Ayurvedic dietary guidance woven in too.
Lefay Resort & Spa, Lake Garda, Italy
Set among the hills of Lake Garda, Lefay’s Sleep Programme is designed as a complete reset for body and mind, rooted in the resort’s own Lefay Spa Method, a holistic approach to wellbeing, which combines principles of Classical Chinese Medicine with Western scientific research. That means, rather than treating sleep in isolation, the experience looks at the relationship between your physical health, stress, emotions and energy, and uses treatments, movement, nutrition and personalised herbal remedies to restore balance. Your five- or ten-night retreat, therefore, begins with a medical examination and sleep check-up, helping to tailor the programme to each guest. Treatments can include acupuncture (which is a particular speciality of the resort), plus cryotherapy, foot reflexology and Tuina energy massage with Qigong, guided walks and personalised phytotherapy. There is also time to unwind in Lefay Spa World, including a welcome ritual in the saltwater pool, La Luna nel Lago, and you’ll go home feeling confident you can keep up your renewed sleep routine, with recommendations for maintaining better sleep in your day-to-day routine.
RAKxa Integrative Wellness Retreat, Thailand
Recently voted Thailand’s Best Wellness Retreat at the World Spa Awards, what makes RAKxa truly special is its 360-degree philosophy. Rather than plastering over symptoms with short-term R&R, the resort blends scientific rigour with traditional healing rituals, powered by the team’s understanding that how we feel – poor sleep, low energy, stress, hormones, tech fatigue – are rarely caused by one thing. That ethos means that the Sleep Enhancement programme goes far beyond soothing massages and dimly lit rooms. It explores why you’re not sleeping and restores balance through targeted bodywork, vibrational therapy, herbal compresses and deeply grounding treatments like Shirodhara and Singing Bowl Healing. The result is not just better sleep, but the ability to wake up feeling truly refreshed. Meanwhile, the Energy Renewal programme is a lifeline for anyone truly running on empty. Through personalised diagnostics, IV nutrient therapy, stress-release treatments and hormonal recalibration, it steadily rebuilds your resilience so your energy actually feels sustainable – and that’s an incredible feeling.
Ananda in the Himalayas, India
Set in the tranquil foothills of northern India, the very location of Ananda in the Himalayas – with crisp mountain air and near-total quiet as you look out across its expansive views – is intrinsically suited to helping you rest, unwind and, most importantly, get some uninterrupted sleep. That’s then bolstered further by the retreat’s dedicated Sleep Enhancement Program (available as seven-, 14- or 21-night stays), which is designed to address insomnia, fatigue, and circadian imbalance through a personalised blend of Ayurveda, yoga, and modern wellness practices. Upon arrival, you’ll undergo a full Ayurvedic diagnostic assessment, combined with modern analysis tools such as the Belun sleep assessment ring, to get a full picture of your sleep quality. Your personalised programme will then be packed full of sleep-boosting activities, including guided meditation, pranayama breathing techniques, evening yoga, and targeted therapies such as Abhyanga massage and Shirodhara, both known to calm the nervous system and promote deep relaxation. Additional therapies can incorporate acupuncture, breathwork, and emotional healing to further regulate the nervous system, and the sleep-focused touches extend to the rooms, with a curated pillow menu designed to enhance comfort and support restorative rest.
Longevity Hotel, Algarve, Portugal
The impressive wellness roster at the Longevity Hotel in the Algarve includes a week-long Sleep Optimisation retreat that’s all about long-term results, not short-term fixes. What sets it apart is that it doesn’t just focus on techniques that encourage sleep, but it more thoroughly aims to get to the root cause of your insomnia or even just slightly bad habits. That’s why it includes a sleep apnea screening, as well as medical and nutritional consultations to ensure your better sleep regime is totally tailored to your lifestyle. If stress is causing you to have restless nights – which is incredibly common – you will also enjoy a week filled with stress-relief massages, guided meditation, yoga, and Epsom salt flotations, alongside getting advice from leading experts in mindfulness, energetic healing and emotional detoxing. The programme gives you access to the hotel’s gorgeous rooftop pool and extensive water relaxation circuit too, which includes an infrared sauna and a hammam.
The Marbella Club, Marbella, Spain
If you think you are just too busy for sleep tourism (especially if you find it hard enough to squeeze in a family holiday), then the Marbella Club, A Leading Hotel of the World, is for you. One of Europe’s most sought-after beach resorts, it is known for offering carefree, slow living – but with the addition of the most extensive kids’ club in Europe and plentiful food and beverage offerings, so you don’t feel you are missing out on holiday indulgences. The hotel’s progressive approach to holistic wellness brings facilities and therapeutic offerings designed for ultimate relaxation and healing straight to you, too. The Tranquility and Sleep Enhancing Programme is one of them and, using evidence-based techniques proven to improve sleep, the gentle programme includes an extensive variety of therapeutics, including: a sleep-inducing ritual using Tibetan singing bowl vibrational massage; hydramemory facials; stress-reducing rituals; marine magnesium or calcium wraps; personal guided meditation or yoga sessions; and a lifestyle or nutrition consultation with Quest.
Pennyhill Park, Surrey, UK
An indulgent 80-minute treatment, multiple pools in which to take a soothing dip, and a gift to help extend your sleep once home, Pennyhill Park’s Surrey-based Pro-Sleep Spa Retreat is a chance to pamper yourself to a better night’s rest. Focusing on resetting your circadian rhythms (which control your sleep cycle), the star of the one-night retreat is the Tranquillity Pro-Sleep Treatment, which uses [comfort zone] skincare, aromatherapy, music and unique massage techniques to act on three different sensorial pathways, promoting a really deep feeling of calm. The addition of a Booster Facial treatment leaves your skin feeling more awake and refreshed, too. Plus, when you get back to your room, enjoy a special ‘Sleep Well Tea’ from London-based brand Camellias’s Tea House alongside more [comfort zone] Tranquillity products.
Six Senses Ibiza, Ibiza
Whether you’re looking for some pampering recovery after partying the night away in Ibiza, or want to explore the award-winning wellness side of the island, you can’t go wrong at Six Senses Ibiza. Designed to restore mood, memory and energy levels while reducing stress, the hotel’s signature wellness programme aims to help you establish a sleep routine that’s actually sustainable. There’s a ‘sleep doctor’ on site to guide you through the best treatments via a tailored 45-minute wellness screening. Then, throughout your three- to seven-day stay, you can experience a bounty of sleep-inducing activities, including yoga nidra, regular massages, classes such as Pilates, personal training, sleep amenities, and sleep tracking throughout the duration of your stay. The steam room, hammam and cutting-edge fitness centre, as well as a juice bar, are also available for your enjoyment, as are the spa’s organic gardens, where you can get involved with an Alchemy workshop that gives you the chance to make your own potions and aromatherapy scrubs.
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Becki Murray is Citizen Femme’s Beauty and Wellness Director. As one of the only UK journalists to hold a Distinction-grade diploma in cosmetic science, she combines her unique knowledge with an editor’s eye to help you make smarter choices about beauty and wellbeing. Becki also heads up CF’s spa guide so you could say she’s an expert in the science of relaxation too.
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